Neurological and psychiatric (mental health) disorders have a large impact on health burden globally. Cognitive disorders (including dementia) and stroke are leading causes of disability. Mental health disorders, including depression, contribute up to one-third of total years lived with disability. The Neurological and mental health Global Epidemiology Network (NeuroGEN) is an international multi-database network that harnesses administrative and electronic medical records from Australia, Asia, Europe and North America. Using these databases NeuroGEN will investigate medication use and health outcomes in neurological and mental health disorders. A key objective of NeuroGEN is to facilitate high-quality observational studies to address evidence-practice gaps where randomized controlled trials do not provide sufficient information on medication benefits and risks that is specific to vulnerable population groups. International multi-database research facilitates comparisons across geographical areas and jurisdictions, increases statistical power to investigate small subpopulations or rare outcomes, permits early post-approval assessment of safety and effectiveness, and increases generalisability of results. Through bringing together international researchers in pharmacoepidemiology, NeuroGEN has the potential to be paradigm-changing for observational research to inform evidence-based prescribing. The first focus of NeuroGEN will be to address evidence-gaps in the treatment of chronic comorbidities in people with dementia.

神经和精神（心理健康）疾病对全球健康负担有很大影响。认知障碍（包括痴呆）和中风是导致残疾的主要原因。精神健康障碍（包括抑郁症）占残疾总寿命的三分之一。神经和心理健康全球流行病学网络 (NeuroGEN) 是一个国际多数据库网络，利用来自澳大利亚、亚洲、欧洲和北美的行政和电子医疗记录。 NeuroGEN 将使用这些数据库调查神经和精神健康疾病的药物使用和健康结果。 NeuroGEN 的一个关键目标是促进高质量的观察性研究，以解决证据与实践之间的差距，即随机对照试验无法提供有关弱势群体特定的药物益处和风险的足够信息。国际多数据库研究有利于跨地理区域和司法管辖区的比较，提高调查小亚群或罕见结果的统计能力，允许对安全性和有效性进行早期批准后评估，并提高结果的普遍性。通过汇集药物流行病学领域的国际研究人员，NeuroGEN 有潜力改变观察研究的范式，为循证处方提供信息。 NeuroGEN 的首要重点将是解决痴呆症患者慢性合并症治疗中的证据差距。